On Wed, 2002-01-30 at 11:57, Alan Cox wrote: > > Is there a messages manual for Linux?
> Question: What is a "messages manual", what does it achieve ? If Alan Cox doesn't know what a messages manual is, then it's a pretty sure bet that Linux doesn't have one. Alan, in the IBM m/f world all messages issued by system programs are prefixed by a message number. The format of this number is standardized, and consists of a three-position alpha prefix designating the product that issued the message, followed by a three-to-five digit number unique to the message within product. The messages are all documented in "messages and codes" books -- what they mean, what components issued them, what to do about them. I have a couple of feet of shelf space dedicated to messages, and my installation is relatively tiny. I have to say I've wished several times that there was a central location for message documentation in Linux. Kernel panic? Segfault? Modprobe diagnostics? I recompiled a kernel and started getting silly diagnostics about a "system map" whenever I ran ps. Took me awhile to figure out, mostly 'cause the message meaning was unobvious to the neophyte. The messages-and-codes manuals are one-stop-shopping for information about messages that you don't normally see, but which beg some explanation. -- David Andrews A. Duda and Sons, Inc. [EMAIL PROTECTED]
